Prayer: The wisdom of hard work (Proverbs)

Heavenly Father,

We are really thankful for work. You are a god who works: who has created all things; who sustains everything; who works hard at relating to people and reaching out to them; who sent Jesus to do the work of closing the gap between people and God by defeating our sin, nailing it to the cross.

You provide all good things for people, and you also have given us a say in how we go about getting those things. You provide us with so many good things to do, and there is so much good that comes from it! We can give people things they need. We can bring joy into people's lives. We can be creative and inventive. We can make a difference in this world. We work in jobs that pay us wages that we use to meet our physical needs, or in our families where children or the sick need care and sustenance and shelter, or in study in order to learn and grow and create future opportunities, or we simply work on cultivating godliness and joy in ourselves and others. You have given us a part to play in our own lives, and the lives of others, so that we can make a difference, and we are thankful.

But we live in a broken world, where it doesn't always work out the way we'd like. You have told us that you have a plan for people and for the world, but we so often see things going against your plan. We want to pray for and commit to you, Lord, people who are unemployed because they cannot get work, or who are too sick to work. We pray for people who don't want to work. We pray for families where the young or the old are neglected and not looked after. We pray for people whose jobs are sometimes boring, or unnecessary, or whose work does not help meet people's good needs, or who are trapped in a job and cannot leave. We pray for those whose work is valuable, but who are underappreciated or forgotten; or who are exploited by their employers or by society. And we pray for those who don't have anything worth doing, or who waste their time and money on things that are pointless, that don't bring joy, or that bring trouble and harm. We pray for those who work for work's sake, and who miss out on the rest that you provide.

None of these things are in your plan, and yet we live in a world where they are so common. We ask you, please Lord, to help us to follow your guidance for work. Help us to help others who are trapped in these problems and troubles of work. And help us not to turn work into an idol, or to trust in our work to solve our problems, but instead to trust you to have everything in hand.  And help us to rest in you; to place things into your hands, look to you for our provision; and to spent quality time with you. Give us the values of your own heart: let us work for your glory, your righteousness, for truth, and for love.

We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen